Water in the woodshop
If you're like Ben Strano, and your shop is 50 or 60 feet away from running water, you've had to figure out some workarounds.
Jul 29, 2021
If you’re one of the lucky few who have running water in your woodshop, just hit stop and move on. But if you’re like me and your shop is 50 or 60 feet away from running water, you’ve had to figure out some workarounds. I keep a couple of gallons of water in a jug in my shop, which I wind up having to refill about once a week. But there’s a couple little things that I’ve gotten over the past few months that have really helped my flow in the shop.
Glue-brush cup
One of them is this paintbrush cleanup container–which it turns out is called a “neatness jar.” It’s just a lidded cup that I fill with an inch or so of water. The lid keeps the water from evaporating. Under the lid is a cone inside with a hole in it which is a great place to tamp your brush clean. Most of the time, when I finish spreading glue with my glue brush, I just throw the brush right in the cup and the water keeps the glue from drying; then after I’m done with the stress of dealing with clamps and getting parts to fit together, I go back and clean up my brush.
Spray bottles
I do a lot of hot-pipe bending and I often use a spray bottle to moisten the wood before bending. A spray bottle of water also comes in handy to spray a piece down in order to raise the grain before final sanding. Recently I was helping my brother sand a butcher-block countertop and I asked him for a spray bottle. My sister-in-law came with what can only be described as a magic bottle–a continuous-flow spray bottle. She ordered it online, but I’m sure they’re available at beauty supply stores. The continuous-flow bottle puts out a really fine mist, so one spray from it is probably equal to one spray from a regular sprayer. If I were a waterstone sharpener, I would absolutely have one a continuous-flow bottle–besides, it’s just kind of fun.
So how do you use water in your woodshop if you don’t have running water? Let me know in the comments below. I’m interested.
Comments
I keep a gallon water pitcher with a lid (you will tip it over sooner or later) in the shop, a one quart spray bottle and a smaller one that sprays a much finer mist. Wet sanding, sharpening, glue cleanup and so many tasks, I would love to have running water but in this cold weather country thats not going to happen.
I have a 10 gallon bucket to catch waste water under a sink. I setup a 12 volt boat bilge pump with float switch connected to a cheap 12 volt power supply. When the bucket gets full enough to trigger the switch the water is pumped out of my shop through an old garden hose.
I have a water cooler so cold water or a hot cup of coffee is always available. I refill the cooler jug in the house so cost is minimal.
My dehumidifier has a pump that sends the water out a tube through the window. When needed, I refill a 10 gallon jug with the water coming from the tube. This is the water I use for sharpening and other uses.
I suspect a sink is nearly as useful as the running water we expect to go along with the sink. Fortunately, I have both. Now that I have a small sink the shop, I hope I won't have to do without one in the future. Absent running water, however, I think I would still aim for a small sink and use a water container above the sink and a waste bucket below the drain. Having ready access to small amounts of water is helpful for sharpening, finishing, cleanup, and lots of other things. Containing that water in or near a sink keeps everything cleaner. I mounted a small bar sink under a home-made counter and love wiping water, swarf, glue, and any other mess into the sink.
Grubby mug??? you would do that to a West Wing coffee mug???? I am shaking my head.....bvd
My household water is just hard enough to cause rust problems on my Tormek stone so I use distilled water bought at the grocery store. I don't use much as my shop time is limited. Usually 2 gallons will do me for a year.
IF you run a dehumidifier in your shop, then you have a constant supply of chlorine free water, if you run a line from the dehumidifier to a 5 gallon bucket on the floor, you can have 5 gallons of water every day, be sure to filter it before using because of gunk off the condenser lines
My shop is a garage attached to the house, and my water is the downstairs half-bath sink, about five steps away. My sharpening station, and my 'clean' workbench for light luthier work, are inside the house, right across from that bathroom. I use water stones, and the combination of nearby sink, and a plastic storage tub half full of water, keeps the stones in good shape.
If I didn't have the sink, I'd do my flattening on a shallow baking pan, and just refresh the water in the tub from a water cooler like Ben shows.
For glue up, I use flux brushes. Thanks to a FWW tip, one brush lasts me ... indefinitely. The problem is the bristles pulling out, getting in the glue joint, etc. A couple drops of thin CA glue in the heel of the brush fixes that! Since I started doing that 18 months ago, I'm on my second brush, and only because the first one crusted up before I could clean it. So now I use a very high tech Phil Lowe technique... I keep the glue brush, an old toothbrush, and a small rag in a pot of water. The glue brush stays clean, and I use the toothbrush and rag to immediately clean up squeeze out. No more worry about unseen glue stains marring an oil finish.
Hey Ben, can you tell us about your shop apron? From what I can see, it's got the pockets and strap I've been looking for, and so far not found.
I believe that's a Texas heritage apron. They're great. I currently use a Hudson canvas apron that I like a lot nice pocket arrangement. Fraction of the cost but not customizable like Texas heritage.
Thanks!
You nailed it. TX Heritage customized with no bottom pockets.
Water bottle for drinking and spray bottle for sharpening. The sink and bathroom are in the house. I like the idea of the larger water jug and may incorporate that as I’m always forgetting to refill the water bottle.
I'm very fortunate that a previous owner of my property built a 25x40 RV garage, most of which is now my shop. It came complete with running water and sewer hookups. I've "gilded the lily" by adding a very small tankless electric water heater. They come in several sizes, starting in the $100-150 range. It won't give you a quick bucket of steaming water but is big enough to deliver a useful flow of warm to semi-hot water for washing hands or brushes. Very nice to have in the winter!
I have a plastic garden sink that I use on my outdoor deck.
There is faucet and handle . It has hose connections for inputting water and an outlet connected to the drain that allows you run a hose to move the drain water to any location you want. Great for a wet bar! of course not great in mid-winter
I do have water in the shop and a heated floor, it gets extreemly dry down to 30 -35 % humidity so I have a humidifier almost year around its extreem in the winthermonth summer is ok 55-70% which gives perfect paint conditions no dust on the surface.
I love the sign on your bandsaw "beecuz" little kids (like my granddaughters) are cool - and love woodshops!
Was this the spray bottle in your video? https://www.amazon.com/Continuous-Refillable-Pressurized-Sprayers-Showering/dp/B0813C84X6/ref=asc_df_B0813C84X6?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80676757986123&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584276304806910&psc=1
At $6.49, it is certainly inexpensive. I'll probably order one to give it a try on my waterstones. Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for the tip (I think). Went to the Rumble in the jungle [Amazon], saw it, ordered it and, to "Take advantage of free shipping", ordered a bench hook on my "Wish List" to round it out. [Yes, it's amazing how much we humans will spend just in order to "Save Money".]
Thanks for the tip (I think). Went to the Rumble in the jungle [Amazon], saw it, ordered it and, to "Take advantage of free shipping, ordered a bench hook on my "Wish List" to round it out. [Yes, it's amazing how much we humans will spend just in order to "Save Money".]
Ben, here's an idea. (full disclosure: I have not read other comments before making my own) First, I must mention that I DO have running water in my shop with a full sized kitchen sink set in a countertop with hard plumbing connections for supply and waste. But, years ago I wanted a small sink to put in a mechanical room where there was a cold water hose bibb nearby and a floor sink in a concrete floor. You can get an fairly inexpensive hand sink for under $100.00 with faucet and valve set attached. Mount it on a convenient wall location in your shop, connect a garden hose to your nearest building hose bibb (spigot), and connect the hose to the supply line(s) on the sink. Without access to a waste line, just place a 5 gallon bucket under the sink drain to collect waste water. Open the hose bibb and control your water flow using the valve set on the sink. Anything going down the drain goes into the 5 gallon bucket. You only need to empty the bucket every once and a while after it fills up (relatively easy chore). You now have a source of 'running' water in your otherwise water-less shop. Only thing you need to concern yourself with, if you live in a cold climate, is the water freezing up that's left in the hose outside. Cheers.
That would mean leaving a pressurized line open more often than not... across my driveway no less!
Ah, driveway problem. You could water jet under it and install a sleeve. But I digress; have my contractor's hat on asking you to do something outside the scope of woodworking :>).
Think of what that would cost, and then imagine the tools I could buy instead!!!
I'm remodeling an old uninsulated 8-10 woodshed in the backyard as my shop. I plan on putting a small bar sink in the corner with a drain hose going out the garden bed outside. I have a 5-gallon Igloo cooler, that I'll put above the sink with the water plumbed to the sink faucet. I have a quick disconnect to unplug the cooler when I need to take it down for refilling. Most of this stuff is from when I used to homebrew, so no money out of pocket. I have a mister that I use in the garden that works great for precision misting without having to constantly squeeze the trigger (and getting carpal tunnel).
Darn. You beat me to it. I first saw this at a Lie-Neilsen tool workshop. They had it for their sharpening station and that is what I use it for. About $6 at HD. The only thing I had to learn is don't pump it up too hard as it can spray really hard if you do. On the other hand, when the grandkids come over and are acting up or I feel like playing, it makes a great water pistol with a 15-20 foot range and large capacity..... 8+>)
I have a Primo 5 gallon jug with a pump that I got at one of the big box stores. I either fill it at the house and carry it down to the workshop or carry down gallon jugs of water and fill it periodically so there is always water in the workshop.
Ding ding ding! We have a winner! I'm gonna look for one of those!
My shop is in the basement and for some unknown reason the builder of the house failed to add drainage in a 1995 Sq Ft unfinished basement. I'm the second owner and so use 460SF for my shop. I keep gallon and 1/2 gallon jugs of water on hand but I do like the idea of the sink and 5 gallon bucket idea. I have access to running water since the ceiling is open and the hot water tank is in the basement, sooooo, the 5 gallon bucket route is my winner. Better than the sump pump idea I have been considering. And lots cheaper.
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